ECW started tonight with Mark Henry and Matt Hardy going back and forth about the legitimacy of Hardy's championship. They would be interrupted by Miz and Morrison who were also craving action and were calling for the "nerds" Ricky Ortiz and Evan Bourne. So to help out all the parties GM Teddy Long created a tag match of Hardy, Bourne and Ortiz against Miz, Morrison and Henry as the main even of the night. And in typical ECW fashion this was the only match worth watching. There were some great exchanges of athleticism between Morrison and Bourne and I would love to see them in a singles match. For the most part Hardy and Henry staid out of the match, but Henry was in it long enough to manhandle Bourne with a titanic body slam for the pin.

The one participant I really wanted to see something out of was Ortiz, who still has yet to face major competition to display his talents. I felt this match would be his time to shine, especially with Hardy not joining much of the action, but despite this Ortiz failed to impress me. Not to say he looked out of place, but he didn't bring much to the ring to make him stand out. This guy has plenty of charisma and the fans seem to like him, but as of yet he has not display much in the ring to make you think he has a future. As for his new counter part Evan Bourne, this guy has been a regular highlight reel in the ring and is now being featured regularly on Raw. He still needs more of an electric personality, but what really matters is what you do in the ring. Don't be surprised if Bourne finds himself in Money In the Bank at Mania 25.

As stated the rest of the night wasn't much to talk about. We saw Jack Swagger again obliterate a jobber, with Lenny Lane being the victim this time. After the match Swagger again would take advantage of his prone opponent and continua to beat him. Tommy Dreamer would come to the aid of Lane but it was too late to make a difference. Dreamer then took on Mike Knox and did a decent job, but for some reason they gave Knox the win. Again Swagger would come to the ring to inflict more punishment on a defenseless Dreamer.

This looks to be setting up a feud between Swagger and Dreamer, but it will not be enough to get Swagger over. I like Dreamer in the role of helping young guys learn the ropes. Who else could be better as he has certainly paid his dues from the days of old ECW. This man has taken so many brutal beatings, it's amazing to see him still around and being able to walk. If young guys can't learn a thing or two from him then they lack the dedication necessary to be in the big time. As for Swagger I just don't see his persona getting over with the crowd. No offense to the mentally challenged, but he looked retarded coming out to his intro music. And that dumb smile doesn't due him any favors, especially with his goofy looking face and build. Yes he was a great college wrestler, but this is sports entertainment and you lack the looks and personality to stick around kid.

Posted by JSX at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: PWPIX.net

Jeff Hardy doesn't appear to be in any serious trouble following an incident at the Nashville International Airport two weeks ago, reports prowrestling.NET. An airport official deemed Hardy too intoxicated to take a flight home, and he wasn't allowed to board his scheduled flight as a result. A number officials breathed sighs of relief as some feared it was something more serious. However, the incident didn't help his standing in the company obviously, but it didn't really hurt it. Also, a number of his friends haven't noticed any signs to indicate that he's slipping back into his old habits, although, there were no red flags when he failed a drug test earlier in the year either.

Labels: jeff hardy

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments

Was there any doubt Shawn Michaels mystery partner for his tag match with Jericho and Lance Kade would be none other than Triple H. Any chance the WWE gets to reunite DX you know they will run with it. And for HBK it was in his best interest as he would need Triple H to protect him from the beating he was receiving from his opponents. After clearing Triple H from the ring Kade and Y2J preceded to double team HBK thus forcing a end to the match via DQ. They tried to use a ladder to inflict serious injury upon HBK but Triple H arrived just in time with sledge hammer in hand to put an end to it. Then DX put the whupping on Kade. Of course the trio of Y2J, Triple H and HBK need no push as they are all major superstars, but this match did nothing for Kade. Since his alliance with Jericho he really hasn't done much other than a few cheap shots on Michaels. They want to push him since his break up with the departed Trevor Murdoch but so far he has done little to establish himself. And serving as DX's whipping boy really didn't do much to raise his profile. Hopefully for his sake the WWE has something planned for him soon before he begins to fade into obscurity.

In eight man competition we saw Rey Mysterio, Evan Bourne, Kofi Kingston and CM Punk face Kane, Manu, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. The beginning of the match was great as all the faces were working in concert to eliminate there rivals from the ring. They used a great display of combination moves and high flying tactics to to accomplish this. After this flurry the match did settle down to a normal pace and saw Kane choke slam Kingston. Due to this win Kane will have Mysterio unmasked if Rey loses at No Mercy.

Further keeping with the tag theme Beth Phoenix and Jillian defeated Kelly Kelly and Candice. The Glamazon would get her revenge by pinning Kelly but you have to give Kelly Kelly credit. Every week she keeps improving her skills and has looked very well matched up against Phoenix. This is an great feat given Phoenix is one of the best female wrestlers out there today. Now if Jillian would take some notes from this match she can be more than the annoying pop star wannabe and have some real value to the company.

Jamie Noble is getting a minor push again as he teamed with Mickie James to take on the Burchills. Noble would make Paul tap out with his arm bar setting the tone to take on William Regal and Layla soon. If we remember Layla left Noble for Regal as he is more classy than Noble can ever be. I'm not sure if this program will be able to vault either man's career out of the lower end of the card where they find themselves now. Speaking of needing a boost it would appear Paul Burchill may find himself like other male wrestlers who have been teamed with attractive female counterparts. Look for Katie Lea to stick around well after Paul has been released.

Other marches saw Batista make quick work of Santino only to be attacked by JBL after the bell. The Animal would get revenge giving JBL the Batista bomb while Mike Adamle, Randy Orton and JBL were all discussing who is the top dog on Raw. JTG would lose to the Miz as the Cryme Tyme and Miz/Morison rivalry is heating up. I like this pairing but I felt Cryme Tyme still had some unfinished business going up against the champs. Perhaps a program with all three teams is in the works and I would love to see that as they really need to return the tag division to prominence. Tonight also saw Charlie Haas continue his impersonations. He came to the ring tonight as the Great Charli and would get the win over Deuce. If Deuce felt he still was in the WWE's plans tonight pretty much sealed his doom. When you lose to comedic gimmicks you know your on your way out. But all was not fun and games as the Great Khali showed up and chopped Charli into unconsciousness.

Posted by JSX at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: Wrestlescoop.com

It looks like Victoria Crawford, known to SmackDown fans as Vickie Guerrero and Edge’s wedding planner Alicia Fox, may be returning to WWE’s SmackDown brand here soon. Alicia has been missing from TV for a few months and hasn’t appeared on any WWE developmental shows in Tampa until this past Thursday night when she teamed with Jack Gabriel to defeat ECW Diva Tiffany and Scotty Goldman. Alicia was pulled from the SmackDown opening video a few weeks back but is still scheduled to be in an upcoming set of WWE trading cards. I guess it’s likely that she can make her return when Edge is brought back.

Labels: smackdown, Vickie Guerrero, Victoria Crawford

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:06 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross has updated the Q&A section on his website, jrsbarbq.com. Below are some of the latest highlights:

- JR on why Dustin "Goldust" Runnels isn't given credit: Perhaps we should have a parade in his honor. Only kidding. Dustin pulled off the Goldust persona extremely well, if you will, and better than any one I can think of doing the bizarre characterization. Sometimes art imitates life.

- JR on DH Smith: He's still in school learning his trade. No one should be in any hurry and allow Smith to be called up when he is truly ready. Yes, I believe he has tremendous potential but how good he becomes is really up to him and how hard he works at improving not unlike any other young wrestler.

- JR on Melina: I hear she is healing nicely and is likely to still be out a few more months to allow her heel to heal properly. We all miss her I assure you.

- JR on Umaga and Super Crazy, Jimmy Wang & tag teams: Umaga will be back in action on Friday Night Smackdown soon. If it was as simple as Jimmy Yang and Super Crazy solving the lack of interest in tag team wrestling, I am all for it. Hopefully Carlito and Primo are a step in the right direction as Primo seems to especially have great "fire" and charisma.

- JR on signs fans bring to shows: I like the majority of the signs the fans bring. Some are offensive and shouldn't be allowed to appear on TV and that's not a "freedom of speech" issue. Some insecure fans make hurtful or perverse signs just to garner attention for themselves. However, in general I have great respect for the fans who take the time to make funny and nicely done signs. I got no clue regarding the "Pork" signs but I have a general idea.

- JR on AJ Styles: He's a very good hand but it is much too early in his career to consider him as becoming a "legend" or a HOF'er.

Labels: jim ross, Jimmy Wang Yang, super crazy, umaga

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: PWPIX.net

The word going around is that John Cena will not be a part of WWE Studios' "The Marine 2." The movie is currently in rewrites and is set for a 2009 direct-to-DVD release. I can't imagine any other current WWE Superstar with a name that would draw to star in the film. Imagine Big Show or Batista as the next Marine.

Labels: john cena

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:03 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: PWPIX.net

The Daily Star posted an interview with Kurt Angle today. He addressed a number of topics including what he'll do when his TNA contract expires next year (next September), his thoughts on Shawn Michaels, Triple H & Vince McMahon, TNA making his match at Hard Justice with AJ Styles last month "complex," and more.

His plans when his TNA contract expires: "When my contract comes up I'm going to be doing some MMA, so there it is straight up. At present I am leaning toward TNA, but I will choose whatever company is in my best interests."

How he will make his decision: "My decision will rely on how I feel about the company, and I feel pretty good right now about TNA. It comes down to where I feel I am able to fill the greater purpose. Right now TNA is the better way to go, I like being the top guy here and helping them grow."

If he'd return to WWE: "If I did go back, which is a very slim chance, my schedule would be a lot less. I just can't do it, I've wrestled twenty two years in amateur wrestling and eight as a pro. It just won't happen."

His feelings on Shawn Michaels and Triple H: "My anger has passed. I don't blame Shawn or Triple H for what I went through. When it was time for me to get help, instead of shouting out I kept my mouth shut., Trip and HBK are two of the best wrestlers who ever lived. I harbour no animosity towards them. McMahon is a billionaire who wishes he had a gold medal in the Olympics. I may not have the money, but I am a valuable commodity. He knows, and I know."

His feelings on Vince McMahon: "He is the smartest, most intelligent, and most successful promoter of all time. Him and I have had our ins and outs, and it's almost come to blows, but Vince and I have a mutual respect for each other. I know how good he he is at what he does, and he knows how good I am. No-one can break that bond, not Jeff Jarrett, not Dixie Carter. It's like a father-son bond."

TNA complicating his match with AJ Styles at Hard Justice: "We had a match at Hard Justice - I wanted to have a straight up match, one on one, but at the very last second they came to us and told us that it would be last man standing. Then they changed the rules - we had to pin each other, then after that he has ten seconds to get up, and it was all starting to get too complex."

More on TNA booking: "We have to make the fans understand what we are doing. All of a sudden we have to have a pinfall??! We are trying to be innovative, but sometimes we can be a little too innovative, and it can backfire on us. It's better to be simple so the fans understand."

Labels: kurt angle, shawn michaels, triple h

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: Prowrestling.net

WWE is advertising the following matches for Friday's Smackdown show on MyNetwork TV.

-WWE Champion Triple H vs. World Hvt. Champion Chris Jericho vs. ECW Champion Matt Hardy in a Triple Threat Match.

-Intercontinental Champion Santino Marella vs. U.S. Champion Shelton Benjamin.

-WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool vs. WWE Women's Champion Beth Phoenix.

-WWE Tag Champions Carlito and Primo vs. World Tag Champions Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase.

-Kane and MVP and JBL and The Brian Kendrick vs. Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio and Batista and Finlay in an "all-star eight-man tag match."

Labels: chris jericho, mynetworktv, shelton benjamin, smackdown

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross is back with another blog update at jrsbarbq.com. Here are some of the highlights:

- The final Friday Night Smackdown airs Friday night on the CW before moving next week to MyNetworkTV with that first show to be taped this Tuesday in Titletown…. Green Bay, Wisconsin. This will be a loaded show that is resembling a PPV-like broadcast as it relates to star power from all 3 WWE brands being represented on the program in a variety of Title bouts.

- The #1 contender for the WWE Title, Jeff Hardy, received 6 stitches in Barcelona, Spain but will miss zero ring time and this is not considered by any means a serious injury nor will it affect Jeff’s in ring schedule. This sort of thing, while unpleasant, goes with the territory.

- I read where Ric Flair “lost” a deal with Coca Cola but I am under the impression that “Naitch” was only in casual talks about he possibility of working with Coke down the road in the Southeast and this was never a done deal.

- From what I understand, and I could be wrong, the upcoming December 22 WWE event in Toronto will be a TV shoot. Whether it is or not, it is always great to return to TO for any reason. Tickets for this one will go fast one has to assume. Not a bad “stocking stuffer” idea for the holidays. I hope it is a broadcast event as TO is one of my favorite cities.

Labels: jeff hardy, jim ross, ric flair

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:04 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: WrestleScoop.com

Ever since Rey Mysterio left the SmackDown brand for RAW, the Hispanic rating for WWE on Friday night’s has gone way down. While we don’t have any data on RAW’s ratings in that demographic, we do know it has been a slow drop for SmackDown and now the show only does slightly above its national average among Hispanics. This explains why Primo and Carlito were put on the show and pushed with the Tag Team belts.

Labels: rey mysterio, smackdown

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments

On the final episode of Smack Down on the CW we saw the Undertaker begin his usual reign of terror on Vickie and the new coalition with the Big Show and the Family by attacking Chavo backstage then coming fro Vickie in the ring. This was a a great way to send off the show before moving to My Network next week as it featured a great ending and a solid all around card. Yes I know the Undertaker returning from banishment story line has been used countless times but they are still able tt make it work.

First this plot enables the Big Show to be involved in a major story line while engaging in a great duel with fellow heavyweight. These two will be able to display what a good match between large brawlers should look like. It will not be the regular bore fest we get when inserting the Great Khali, Mark Henry and the other bruisers the WWE think will be major stars. Both of these men can delivery on a great rivalry by using more than the usual kick, head butt and bear hug that all the other useless big men use in this company.

The story line also is kept fresh by the great efforts of Vickie. Again she was able to put her body on the line to help sell the story by being tomb stoned by the Undertaker. For a non wrestler she has taken her share of bumps over the past year while becoming perhaps the biggest heel in the company. Her conniving ways have made her a major player on Smack Down and she far overshadows her fellow GM's from the other brands. When she was named GM I felt it would be short lived as I really didn't think she would have the personality to make her mark. I will say I underestimated her abilities and you may have to consider her for performer of the year in the WWE. With one simple phrase of "Excuse me!" she is able to annoy and entertain at the same time and immediately get the desired reaction from the crowd with hail of jeers. As long as wrestling fans have a clear cut favorite to hate any plot will work, and the fans disdain of Vickie helps keep a stale Undertaker returns plot fresher than a loaf of bread straight out of the oven.


While the return of the Undertaker seeking revenge plot may be old but finding new life due to Vickie, there is one plot that I am growing tired of. Enough already with the off again on again animosities of between Triple H and Jeff Hardy. Hardy is questing for the title held by Triple H and has taken his shots at the King of Kings. But as you may think the heat is building between the two Hardy will come to the rescue and shake hands with Triple H. I understand these guys are both major fan favorites and they want to keep them as faces, but please stop with the forced tension. Either have Hardy turn on Triple H or make it a friendly rivalry. I'm just growing tired of what I feel is a cop out by the WWE to place any negative heat on either men by keeping them both major faces as we saw tonight with their tag win over MVP and Brian Kendrick. At the end Hardy handed Triple H the belt and raised his hand in victory.

Later in the night it would be Hardy who would run to the ring to rescue Triple H from being double teamed by Khail and Vladimir Kozlov. I understand both men have their issues with Kozlov as he attacked them last week, but wouldn't Hardy be better served letting these two weaken his opponent at No Mercy instead of helping him? To me it just reeks of cowardliness by the WWE writers to cross Hardy over to an unfavorable persona.

This last night on the CW also saw the crowing of new tag champions as Carlito and Primo took the belts of Hawkins and Ryder as they predicated last week. The match was decent enough and Primo is showing he has the talents to make in the WWE. Again it seems Carlito's future in this company will be in the tag realm as he hasn't been a major singles competitor in some time. It may seem like a step back, but for a guy who only months ago was speculated as being on his way out any title is step in the right direction. As for Hawkins and Ryder they joined Kenny and Ryan Braddock in the moving van courtesy of Jesse and Festus as we move to My Network next week.

In Divas action we came one step closer to seeing Brie Bella's twin as the under the ring switch a roo was barely concealed. This move helped bring a tag victory for Maria and Bella over Victoria and Natalia. Once the twin angle is "officially" reveled there should be program of the Bella twins against the BFF duo of Victoria and Natalia. With Maryse and Michelle McCool developing great chemistry Natalia may have to wait for her chance to rematch for the Divas belt. As for the newcomer Brie she took some good lumps tonight and really showed she can handle her own. If her twin has the same abilities this could be an interesting new twist to the diva ranks.

The other match of the night saw Chavo take on Jimmy Wang Yang in a decent showing of these light-heavyweights. There was nothing special here as we have see these two before and with no belt anymore for this division Yang is no more than a decent filler when they need to put on a decent match that doesn't involve much of a story line.

Shelton Benjamin tonight took to the ring to voice his displeasure over R-Truth only to be interrupted by the rapping styles of Truth. We know these two will meet for the US belt and by the way the WWE is pushing Truth he may be the champ sooner than latter. We have reported here they are looking to make Truth the big African American star, but they really need to lose the song and dance routine. He has shown good moves in the ring and I have no problem with him getting a title shot this soon, but his intro cheapens the talents he has. Plus I'm dissapointed to see the WWE perhaps giving up on Benjamin. I understand the need to have a African American face, but Benjamin has shown he deserves to be pushed as he has worked very hard to get to this point and contributes many positive factors to the program. He can give you a good technical match mixed with athletic moves that always amaze. Hopefully he does not get pushed to the wayside in an attempt to get Truth over with the fans

Posted by JSX at 9:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

Here is this week's Billboard Recreational Sports DVD top ten list. WWE debuted on top with The Life And Times Of Mr. Perfect.

1. WWE: The Life And Times Of Mr. Perfect
2. UFC 84: Ill Will
3. WWE: The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment
4. UFC: The Best Of Fight Night Live
5. 2001 FedEx Orange Bowl National Championship
6. Pride Fighting Championships 32: The Real Deal
7. WWE: Nature Boy Ric Flair: The Definitive Collection
8. NBA Champions 2007-2008: Boston Celtics
9. WWE: The Best Of Raw: 15th Anniversary 1993-2008
10. WWE: Twist Of Fate: The Matt & Jeff Hardy Story

Labels: The Life And Times Of Mr. Perfect

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:18 PM | Permalink | Comments

Source: Wrestling Observer

The win over John Cena that Batista scored at WWE's SummerSlam pay-per-view was meant to be a message to him of a vote of confidence. Batista was critical of wrestling Cena in the first place on such short notice and felt the match should have been saved for WrestleMania, like originally planned. It's believed Batista feels he will never be in the spot he was three years ago when he was the top guy in the company and his feud with Triple H drew big.

With the talk of Batista wanting to take more time off, some feel that it's just his way of making noise knowing that he can be frustrated and people will react in a way that they wouldn't for other guys on the roster, such as Carlito. One person close to Batista says he will be shocked if The Animal takes time off because he loves the lifestyle, the attention and being a star. Batista is likely making in excess of $2 million per year and at 40 years old, he has to realize he doesn't have a lot of years left in the ring.

Labels: 2008 summerslam, batista, john cena

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

source: www.f4wonline.com

Undertaker, 43, worked a tag match at last night's SmackDown/ECW house show in Lisbon, Portugal, teaming with Triple H to take on Big Show and MVP. According to a fan in attendance, Undertaker's knees appeared to be shot. Before the match, Undertaker was seen punching feeling into them. During the match, he was really limited in what he could do and spent less time in the ring than anyone else for obvious reasons.

Labels: triple h, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: PWPIX.Net

While WWE won’t be taking any disciplinary action against Hardy for his most recent incident, some "what if" conversations have sparked up within the company. Hardy is obviously a big draw for WWE who also moves a fair amount of merchandise, and would be much more valuable to competition this time around if they were to let him go.

One source says that WWE will be reluctant to call Hardy’s "third strike", as they are very aware of the potential business TNA could do with him after his major push on RAW.

The recent airport incident, where Hardy was allegedly intoxicated in public, was said to be a wakeup call for WWE management and he likely won’t be getting the same star treatment he was before.

Labels: jeff hardy, tna

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Regarding the Festus and Jesse wrestler kidnapping angle where the two come out as moving men, it's being done due to SmackDown's move from The CW to myNetworkTV. WWE is prohibited from mentioning myNetworkTV on the show or during commercials, except to say check your local listings. So WWE's trying to get around it by having Jesse & Festus wear shirts that say "MyMoving Company."

Labels: Festus and Jesse

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross is back with another Q&A update at his website, jrsbarbq.com. Below are some of the highlights:

- JR on Austin’s final match: Steve could do well w/ many guys including HBK, Cena, Edge, and Jericho. No one would like to see Austin in one final match any more than me but I really think that ship has sailed. If it doesn’t happen at WM25 then I don’t think it ever will.

- JR on who he would like to manage if he weren’t announcing: Whoever at the time had the potential to sell the most tkts. Today I might suggest Kozlov as I feel he could be really good.

- JR on if we will see a 2 hour ECW and an edgier ECW: My guess is no to both questions. ECW’s talent roster is essentially young and w/o depth. Being PG attracts more potentially lucrative advertisers. Going PG makes sense to me.

- JR on why RAW got the 2.6 rating: Well a 13.7 cable rating is stout for Cowboys-Eagles but it all comes back that if any program contains what the audience wants to see they will watch it. No excuses from me.

Labels: ecw, jim ross, steve austin

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:27 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: WrestleScoop.com

Edge is expected to be returning within the next few weeks. The idea originally was to have him stay gone long enough to sell the ending of the Hell in a Cell match with The Undertaker at SummerSlam but they wanted The Undertaker to be fully established in a new program before bringing him back. Edge was banged up but there was no serious injury that has kept him out this time.

The storyline is that Vickie Guerrero is going to lead Big Show to the WWE Title, which looks like a Triple H vs. Show feud coming up. No word yet where Edge will fit in with everything, but it’s possible he could screw Hardy or Triple H the match at No Mercy and work with whoever he costs the match.

Labels: edge, the big show, undertaker, vicki guerrero

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments

As announced on last night's RAW by Mike Adamle, Kane will face Rey Mysterio at the upcoming No Mercy Pay-Per View. The following is the updated card:

WWE Title Match
Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy

World Title Ladder Match
Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels

WWE Women's Title Match
Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Michelle

ECW Title Match
Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry

#1 Contenders Match
Batista vs. JBL

Big Show vs. Undertaker

Kane vs. Rey Mysterio

Labels: 2008 no mercy, jeff hardy, triple h

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments

It looks like WWE's DVD on WCW Starrcade is back on or was never pulled in the first place, just pushed back. This is from Jim Ross at www.jrsbarbq.com:

Just spent most of the day Monday (these 4 a.m. wake up calls are killing me) working on an upcoming Starrcade DVD and hosting the final, top 5 bouts in Starrcade history for WWE 24/7.

I won’t divulge the results of the voting for the top 25 bouts, especially the top 5, but I will say that some major stars are going to be POed, if you will.

Labels: best of wcw starrcade

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:56 AM | Permalink | Comments

The New Superstar Initiative was bearing some fruit for ECW with Evan Bourne taking the fans by storm and the young guns providing a refreshing mix to the usually sorry matches this brand displayed on a regular basis. It finally looked like ECW had found its new identity and would be able to justify its existence. But we went right back to the poor booking that plagued ECW since the rebirth of this legendary brand. This was well established tonight by the lame main event of John Morrison versus his partner the Miz. The winner would then get to take on the undefeated Ricky Ortiz right after the match.

This all started with both the Miz and Morrison criticizing the New Superstar Initiative and GM Teddy Long taking exception with this. Long would plan the match in order to humble the arrogance of these two but it failed to deliver. The action was good as to be expected from these two, but a double count out. Give me a break, there was no need for this other than they were running out of time. There was nothing to be gained or lost by having one of the Dirt Sheet hosts getting a win. Plus it would have given Oritz a good challenge in order to showcase his talents. So far Ortiz really hasn't taken on anybody of significance to strut his stuff. This was nothing but a bunch of hype that led to nothing but an empty feeling for the viewers.

We also see Finlay continue to win only through the use of his shillelagh. He has been in this business to long to be degraded in this manner. I understand the need to use this on opponents that outmatch him due to size of unfair advantage, but needing this to beat Bam Neely is a joke. First I would liked to have seen more out of Neely. Much like Ortiz , Neely hasn't done much to impress and a nice match against a solid veteran like Finlay would have helped his stock. But instead we get more silly antics involving Hornswoggle and a cheap win by Finlay.

Perhaps the best match of the night was the appearance of the Smack Down Divas Michelle McCool and Maryse. The two rematched in a non title bout from last week. Again they put on a great athletic display with Maryse gettign the win this time. This rivalry is really building some steam and should last for awhile. Both ladies have the looks and great moves in the ring to pull off some great matches. I was calling for McCool to rekindle her program with Natalia, but every time I see Maryse that thought fades quicker and quicker.

We had another terrible Mike Knox match has he made quick work of Chase Stevens. The match was unimpressive but the aftermath was even worse. After Knox got the win Jack Swagger entered the ring to use his finishing move on the unconscious Stevens. This would be followed by Tommy Dreamer coming to Stevens aid, but getting double teamed by Knox and Swagger. All I can say on this one is why? There seems to be no reason for any body getting involved other than to set up a lame match next week between all of these guys.

Posted by JSX at 10:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

Partial source: WO Radio

The feeling within WWE is that Ron "R-Truth" Killings is pretty much protected right now because it is a big deal within the company to have a big African American star right now and it seems Killings is "the chosen one" as one source described it. WWE officials love the gimmick, especially the rapping that he is now doing and are pushing him to really interact with the crowd and get over as much as possible. The feeling is that they're not getting the minority viewers like they want to and are doing whatever it takes to change that.

Shelton Benjamin was thought of to be the top star at one point but they realized he wouldn't be the one and decided to run with Killings. For those who have asked, there is no heat on Killings for leaving the company before and joining TNA and he is said to be getting along with everyone.

Labels: ron killings, shelton benjamin

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:54 PM | Permalink | Comments

source: www.f4wonline.com

Deuce's return on last night's edition of Raw was his first television appearance in over three months, dating back to June 20. Following a loss to Jesse and Festus (their second straight in two weeks), Deuce and Domino would brawl during the match and after, ending with Deuce laying out Domino with the "Crack 'em in da Mouth." He threw his jacket over his fallen partner, dissolving their partnership. Deuce was picked up by Raw in the Supplemental Draft, but hadn't made a single appearance - including house shows & dark matches - until last night. It was reported that Deuce would get a character makeover, but it looks like WWE isn't going to bother. Deuce lost in just over a minute to Santino Marella, which probably isn't a good sign for his future prospects on Raw.

Labels: deuce

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

Rey Mysterio is said to be on the verge of signing a deal with WWE, or has already done so, reports prowrestling.NET. WWE offered him a five-deal deal, but Mysterio opted for three. Last week, one source described his signing as "imminent." Mysterio also had talks with the AAA promotion out of Mexico. They were offering him a three-movie deal as they had an idea to make Mysterio a modern day version of El Santo - who was a movie star in Mexico as well as a legendary wrestler. During negotiations, Mysterio told WWE officials that he wants to be considered for a movie role with WWE Films. WWE also has plans to release a Mysterio autobiography.

Labels: rey mysterio

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:52 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: WrestlingDotCom

Tickets for the 2009 WWE Royal Rumble, scheduled for 1/25/09 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan will go on sale Saturday 11/15 at 10 AM. Tickets for the event are priced at $250 (including the infamous take-home chair), $90, $70, $50, $35 and $25. (Thanks to Devin Cutting for this news item!)

Labels: 2009 royal rumble

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:14 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: PWPIX.net

During Randy Orton's media blitz of the U.K. last month, Power Slam conducted an interview with him. During the interview, Orton's asked if he thinks any WWE newcomers can beat his record of youngest ever holder of a major WWE singles title.

Orton brings up a few names, including Kenny Dykstra. Orton goes off tangent to bring up an incident between the two during a tour in Australia and says that he "never liked him at all."

He also brings up Cody Rhodes, as well as Ted DiBiase, and apparently doesn't know DiBiase's age as he'll be turning 26 years old in November. Orton doesn't think either wrestler is heavyweight champion material. Orton said, "I don't know if the business is going to be ready for a Cody Rhodes as champ. I love him, I think he's really great, he's got his own little niche, but I don't see him or Teddy being the heavyweight champion."

Here is what Orton said:

When you captured the World title aged 24 at SummerSlam 2004, you became the youngest ever holder of a major WWF/WWE singles title. Do you think any of the newcomers will beat your record?

That's a good question. I'm trying to think of the age of everybody. Cody and Teddy are young, right? Kenny Dykstra (who's 22) I knocked him out in Australia, actually one time. He was drinking and thought that he would f--k with me, and I warned him and slapped him so hard in the temple that I knocked him out. I never liked him at all. And everyone always told him, "You're the next Randy Orton." And you know what? F--k that. Make your own name. What does that mean anyway? I slapped the s--t out of Kenny Dykstra. And I don't even know where he is right now. But age-wise, Cody's 23. That's a long way to go (in less than a year).

I got very lucky. I was wrestling Edge a lot back then. And I was over as a heel and getting a chance because I was wrestling Edge.... They thought I was over, so they thought, 'Let's give this kid a run.' Plus, Brock Lesnar had been the youngest champ and they didn't like Lesnar (who had left the company in March 2004), so I had a lot of luck in getting that spot.

I don't know if the business is going to be ready for a Cody Rhodes as champ. I love him, I think he's really great, he's got his own little niche, but I don't see him or Teddy being the heavyweight champion. I don't know who else is of that age. D.H. Smith (who is 22)? I don't know. Hopefully, no one because, to be honest, I don't want anyone to break my record and I don't think there's any potential right now for anyone to (do so), either.

Labels: cody rhodes, randy orton, Ted DiBiase Jr

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: Prowrestling.net

Tickets for WrestleMania 25 will go on sale on Nov. 8 at 10 a.m. CT through Reliant Stadium and at all Ticketmaster locations. The company originally planned to sell tickets on Sept. 20 and again on Oct. 11, but was forced to postpone twice because of Hurricane Ike.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:10 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: ProWrestling.net

Jim Ross will be calling ECW on Sci-Fi this week, according to a post on JRsbarbq.com. Ross noted that Todd Grisham will not be able to appear at the tapings due to a family tragedy.

Labels: jim ross, todd grisham

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: WrestleScoop.com

Some more news on last week’s very low Monday Night RAW rating on September 15…

The show, which drew a 2.6 cable rating, was the lowest non-holiday rating since a 2.29 rating on October 27, 1997. That night RAW went up against Monday Night Football and WCW Nitro. One of the main reasons last week’s number was so low was due to the Cowboys/Eagles game on ESPN drawing a huge 13.3 rating - making it the single most watched telecast in the history of cable television.

If RAW doesn’t see a significant rebound this week, the general feeling is that some kind of a shake-up could be coming.

Labels: RAW

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

Source: JRsBarBQ.com

Jim Ross is back with another blog entry from his official website. Some highlights:

Kurt & Karen Angle Divorcing?: There are several wrestling websites that I enjoy visiting when time permits but some seem to be trying to out TMZ, TMZ. Reporting that Kurt Angle had filed for divorce...no wait...stop the presses...it was Karen Angle who filed for divorce...allegedly...sources say. Is this information that wrestling fans truly need to know? Is this news? Is it any of our business. I hope this rumor isn't true.

WWE's Young Talent: If young wrestles like Ryan Braddock and Jack Swagger (nice name) remain aggressive and escalate their physicality as time goes on, both young men have a good chance of achieving success in the WWE. Working hard, smart and physical cures many ills in the ring such as inexperience.

Evan Bourne: Yours truly has also been enjoying the development of Evan Bourne however in my view Bourne is more than side kick material. Bourne needs to be a member of Friday Night Smackdown which is as you know BROTHER the WWE's #1 program.

Chris Jericho: Chris Jericho is picking up where Edge left off prior to Summerslam and Raw is a better show for it. I shutter to think where Raw would be today without HBK and the World's Heavyweight Champion. And Santino's unibrow.

Labels: chris jericho, Evan Bourne, jim ross

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: ProWrestling.net

A commercial aired during tonight's Smackdown in the Twin Cities that hyped Batista and Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho and Kane as the main event of the Sept. 29 Raw taping.

Labels: batista, chris jericho, RAW

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

No we are not talking about giving birth, or even urging a race car drive to catch up to his competitors, but instead the new mantra of the WWE as of late. This weeks Smack Down featured at least 3 wrestlers who are getting major pushes at this time. We saw two new guys to the roster, Vladamir Kozlov and R-Truth along with Carlito, finding themselves in situations that should raise their profile. This seems to be starting a time of transition for the show as it switches networks next month. This could start a whole batch of new story lines in order to make the show fresh and new when the switchover is completed.

Out of all the major pushes it seems Kozlov is getting the biggest. Last night he not only took out Jeff Hardy, but also included Triple H in his quest of better competition. Both men were assaulted by Kozlov after their matches and MVP helped Kozlov dispose of Triple H. This is very interesting for Kozlov as he goes from taking on the bottom of the roster to now taking on the biggest superstars in the WWE. They may use Kozlov as place holder till things heat up on the road to Wrestle Mania. They may save Triple H, Hardy along with Undertaker and Edge for major programs around this time. Kozlov could fill taking on these guys while showing the WWE what he is made of. This would seem like a good idea, but Kozlov is an unknown commodity and it could crash and burn in a series of horrible matches for him.

R-Truth scored a big win by defeating Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match. With this win it will no doubt set up a title challenge maybe as soon a No Mercy. Again this is taking an unproven talent and thrusting him into the spotlight. This may take MVP out of the picture and really places Benjamin in a tough spot. Shelton has used his US title reign to really raise his stock in the company, but now having to deal with a new comer may put more pressure on him than he can handle. No to mention what will happen to MVP as his future right now is unclear as it look like it would be him and Benjamin.

Carlito is now finding himself back in the good graces of the WWE as we saw a Carltio's Cabana segment last night. He was on with his brother Primo making challenges to WWE tag champs Hawkins and Ryder. The champs would accept the challenge for next week on Smack Down. It now looks as if Carlito may only find himself in these tag roles as there seems to be no indication to push him in singles competition. This is a role he does well, most recently with Rick Flair two years ago. It very well could be his niche but is well below the potential he has shown in the past.

One guy I really would like to see get pushed is Scotty Goldman. Of all the new guys, with the exception of Evan Bourne, he is the only one who has show some sign of promise. Granted until last night his in ring performances have been lack luster, but his puppet of the Great Khali had me laughing. It did a great impression of Khali's "fabulous" mic skills and I would love to see this type of humor on a regular basis. He has the personality, now let him work on his moves and you may have a surprise star on your hands.

In other ring action we saw Hardy beat Brian Kendrick before being taken out by Kozlov. Hardy did a great promo before the match on how he is hungry to take the WWE title and followed with a solid match against Kendrick. How far Hardy goes is still up to the WWE, as they may not want to risk hyping guy who will ultimately let them down. His recent run in with the law may not have been major, but the company cannot be looking upon it favorably. As for Kendrick he is getting a decent push but again he finds himself in limbo with no real major program to showcase his talents.

As for the wrestlers who are not making the cut, it seems it's Jessie and Festus' job now is to pack em up and ship em out. The two country boys now are the official movers of the WWE and have sent Kenny and Ryan Braddock off to parts unknown. These two are helping the move to the new network, but already are needing a new gimmick to keep them fresh. I really like these guys and wonder why they haven't gotten a serous chance for the tag belts. I know over time their shtick will get old, but for now they still are funny.

If you wish for, it it will happen. Last week I spoke about the Divas belt not being defended much on Smack Down and this week we got our match. Maryse would lose to Michelle McCool in a pretty solid match by these ladies. Granted it did not have the high tempo like a Mickie James match, but these ladies can wrestle. For two of the better looking Divas they could make it on that alone, but both have worked hard to show they belong in the ring. Again this dedication only makes the Divas legitimate members of the roster and improves the division overall.

In other happenings we saw the Undertaker start to reek his terror on the Family. After being mocked backstage all night by Vickie and the Big Show he would find his way to the locker room to assault Chavo. Of course this will lead to a match at No Mercy with the Big show. Perhaps next week we will see Brie Bella's twin as she was challenged by Natalia and Victoria who are tiring of Bella's games of retreating under the ring. And last but not least Gregory Helms returned to the program with pop up commentary on the screen during moments of matches. The comments were lame and I hope this will not be a regular feature, but I'm glad to see Helms back.

Posted by JSX at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments

Source: ProWrestling.net

Undertaker’s in-ring action is being restricted due to a sore knee he had scoped during a recent layoff. It was described as a relatively minor surgery, but he came back early for his SummerSlam match with Edge.

When Taker has wrestled lately, he’s been primarily limited to tag matches to keep his workload light.

He still has soreness and tenderness in his knee, but it’s said to be improving. It’s likely only a matter of time before he starts working more singles matches, including one with Big Show.

Labels: 2008 summerslam, edge, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: WrestleScoop.com

The word making the rounds within WWE is that the company doesn’t consider the Jeff Hardy incident a major issue and as noted before, probably won’t be taking any action on him. There’s a feeling among the WWE talents that the company feels they can only push Hardy so far before there’s a good chance of it backfiring on them. Apparently Hardy was aware as early as that same evening that no major action would be taken.

Labels: jeff hardy

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:05 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: WrestleScoop.com

There was some major heat this past week between WWE and the UK’s Fighting Spirit Magazine. The magazine printed a memo sent out by WWE to members of the video game media that’s covering the SmackDown vs. RAW 2009 video game.

In the memo, WWE said that the press could not use any screenshots of Superstars bleeding or weapons being used. Also, the Superstars have to be called that and can’t be referred to as “wrestlers.”

But here’s the kicker. The memo from WWE also stated that no screenshots are allowed of Triple H “in a defenseless or vulnerable position.” I don’t even have to say how insane this is and how ridiculous the measures WWE are taking to protect Triple H’s image. WWE was furious that the memo was published and that the magazine published a screenshot of a character that looked like Triple H, with synthol filled pecs and welts on his back with Kane standing over him

Labels: triple h

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:03 AM | Permalink | Comments

The imposters that are posing as "Matt Loede" and "John Sefcik" in the shoutbox are of course - not us. If we have an opinion or something we'd like to share, we'll do it the old fashioned way - we'll write a post on it. As for those that are posting as us - time to get a girlfriend (or boyfriend, depending.)

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:04 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE has plans to release a DVD set on Kane on Tuesday, December 9, 2008. According to the product page on Amazon.com, the DVD set is tentatively titled "Best of Kane." PWInsider.com reported that it's scheduled to be a three-disc set.

Labels: kane

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

Freddie Prinze, Jr. is still working with WWE on the creative team and is working close to the same schedule as everyone else does, so there are people who are surprised he’s stuck around. Everyone is said to be comfortable working with him and the feeling is he’s a good friend to have for life outside of pro wrestling. Prinze comes up with 10 segments for SmackDown, as does Christopher DeJosephs and John Carle. Michael Hayes works with them and then decides which segments get pitched to Vince McMahon for TV. SmackDown is under more pressure than ECW and RAW right now to have everything hot when the show changes over to MyNetworkTV and it’s a must that they start off on a good foot with the new network. Michael Hayes is still on good behavior and is said to be dealing well with the stress.

Labels: Freddie Prinze Jr.

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

While I have been a fan of what Jeff Hardy has done in the ring for a long time, it's time for the WWE to take a stand and let this talented, yet troubled performer bite the dust, and they should release him once and for all. I don't even need to know the whole story behind why he was taken off a plane heading to the SmackDown tapings this past week, bottom line it could not have been good.

You have to know that it was drug related, and yes, I feel confident in making that assumption. Hardy has had his issues in the past, and there is no question that the company has been patient and have tried to help him through his issues. Jeff has already had plenty of time and help to work through his problems, yet can't seem to keep the straight and narrow.

WWE - it's time. Cut your losses, Jeff is never going to truly get clean, and even if he does, he has some issue that keeps pushing him back in that direction of falling off the wagon. I for one am sick of seeing Jeff get a major push (Main event at No Mercy?) and then mess it up. Take a stand, tell you audience the truth that he can't stay clean, and set an example for the rest of the roster.

Labels: 2008 no mercy, jeff hardy, smackdown

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: WrestleScoop.com

To update you on the Jeff Hardy story from yesterday evening, Jeff was taken off his flight, flanked by several police officers, on Wednesday morning at the Nashville International Airport, heading to North Carolina. Hardy was traveling with Matt Hardy and Gregory Helms.

“Hardy wasn’t in handcuffs, but he was clearly being ‘escorted’, said an eyewitness who asked not to be identified. “They weren’t touching him though, but they had him flanked. He was wearing the same clothes he left the building in Tuesday night. Once they got him off the plane they allowed him to use his phone, before leading him away.”

There were conflicting stories floating around among WWE performers following Wednesday’s incident. At this point we are still looking to confirm exactly what the reason was that Hardy was removed from the plane and we don’t want to speculate any further beyond that.

We can confirm Hardy was removed from his scheduled flight after boarding the plane and that the story had made its way around Titan Tower, where there was concern about his standing with the company. The story was a big topic of conversation among WWE’s workers yesterday as well. Calls made on Wednesday to the Nashville International Airport’s Investigations department were not returned.

Labels: jeff hardy

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: WrestleScoop.com

Batista has been talking about taking some time off from WWE, in part because he was frustrated with the push he was getting. He seems to believe he is not yet a top-tier performer, and believes he should be pushed like a true main eventer based off the reaction from the crowds. There is talk that Batista's win over John Cena at SummerSlam was an attempt to placate him.

There are still rumblings that Batista isn't happy with his push, and if having him go over Cena was intended to pacify him, it didn't work. Although Batista has talked about retiring in a year or two, he's not being taken very seriously, and the feeling is that if he wants to maintain his current lavish lifestyle, he will need the paychecks from WWE.

Either way, he could still end up taking a little time off in the near future depending on where the creative team goes with him.

Labels: batista

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments

Sources: www.f4wonline.com

The previously planed "Best of WCW Starrcade" DVD set from WWE has officially been canceled. However, next month will apparently be Starrcade month on WWE 24/7, unless those plans have been canceled too. Back in the summer, WWE.com ran a poll asking fans to choose their favorite matches at Starrcade. They said the matches picked the most will air on WWE 24/7 during the month of November.

Labels: wcw

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:02 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: PWInsider

The 9/15 edition of Raw did just a 2.6 cable rating. That is NOT a typo. The show did not have one quarter hour that broke a 3.0. The highest one came at 10:15 and only did a 2.91. The show did hours of 2.51 and 2.7. Yes, they were hurt by Monday Night Football but a 2.6 is still a 2.6. The time has finally come for Vince McMahon to address the flaws in his creative process if he wants to have a chance at ending the audience erosion.

Labels: RAW

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: WrestleScoop.com

It’s believed Chuck Palumbo could be on his way out of WWE soon. Vince McMahon thought the motorcycle gimmick was cool at first but eventually got over it and moved on. WWE’s agents have never been high on Palumbo but John Laurinaitis always went to bat for him because they’ve been friends since their WCW days. It was Laurinaitis who got Palumbo his job with All Japan a few years back and eventually convinced WWE to hire him again, saying he had reinvented himself in Japan. Chuck was drafted to RAW from SmackDown in the Draft this year and has yet to appear on TV.

Labels: chuck palumbo

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

After watching ECW tonight you have to wonder have the Hardy's crossed someone at the WWE the wrong way. Yes, Jeff is getting his title chance and Matt is ECW champion, but their recent matches lead you to believe they are in the dog house. After Jeff became the number one contender he was attacked By Vladimir Kozlov, a underachieving wrestler who the WWE wants to push. I have already wrote how I think he will fade to nothingness and it's sad to see them use Jeff to spring board his polulairty. The tonigth we saw Matt take on Mike Knox. You have to be kidding me, as Knox showed nothing in his short program with Finlay. So I guess now he can take on the champ. The match itself spoke volumes how bad Knox is as he actually made Hardy look bad. The match was so slow paced due to Knox's lack of skill other than being a brawler. It was the worst match of the show and that should not be when it features your champ.

The match of the night would have to go to Miz and Evan Bourne. This display mirrored the styling of the Hardy match with Bourne the obvious comparision to Hardy's athletic high tempo style and the Miz a more traditional wrestler like Knox. But unlike the aforementioned match Miz and Bourne were able to establish a good pace and work their strenghts. First Bourne has firmly established himself as having a great future, and if he sticks around this brand he will be champ. The same can be said for the Miz. He defiantly has been overshadowed by his partner, John Morrsion, but give this guy some credit. He has worked very hard to show he is more than a reality star and can hold his own in the ring. This match was also highlighted by Morrison and Ricky Ortiz adding some outside interference. Ortiz was there to help Bourne due to the Miz and Morrison taking shots at both men on the Dirt Sheet. This should give Ortiz the chance to show what he can really do as Miz and Morrison are the top level competition he has yet to face.

The Mark Henry and Finlay match was also a bit dull due to the dominance of Henry in the match. Henry is similar to Knox as they both have very limited ability in the ring. The overly physical style tends to get boring as there is little action in the ring and arm bars and bear hugs don't bring the crowd out of their seats on any night. Also this match lacked much action from Finlay. As one of the great brawlers in the WWE I would have at least liked to see him go toe to toe with Henry. Instead nowadays Finaly seems to need the shillelagh and assitance from Hornswoggle to get a win. The man has more talent than that and should not be limited to gimmicky wins.

Jack Swagger continues to make a name for himself as he defeated Chase Stevens. But in my opinion this was a nice preview of two future jobbers as I really don't see Swagger making it. First, he is too gangly for my taste. When I see him I'm thinking Peter Crouch of English soccer prominence. Just a tall, lanky fellow who really is more a product of his size, not his ability. Second, we already have plenty of guys in the WWE who are using the cocky attitude angle, so he really isn't filling a need. He calls himself the “The All-American American” but really hasn't established what that is. If he can make that into his thing he may stick around, if not we'll be seeing more of Elijah Burke on ECW than Swaggger.

Posted by JSX at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: WrestleScoop.com

Several WWE officials, mainly Vince McMahon, are very high on Vladimir Kozlov right now and they have some big plans in the making for him. Up until recently, the belief was that there was no hope for him but now they feel that he’s gotten better and took it up a notch.

Labels: vince mcmahon, Vladimir Kozlov

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

RAW Monday night was a jam packed show, some of which was pretty good, but as usual some of which was very bad. Here we go with another edition of our Good, Bad and our Grad from RAW:

The Good
--------------

* The opener with C.M. Punk and Chris Jericho for the World Heavyweight Title in a cage was a solid match and way to start the show. Both guys I thought worked hard, and while the ending was a little lacking, I thought overall the match was well done and pretty good. Got the crowd right into the show.

* The finale with the announcement of Chris Jericho vs Shawn Michales was not only a surprise, but a welcome surprise with the stip of the ladder match. And here I thought they would go with another Batista challenge for the title. I guess they will keep that for Cyber Sunday. For now, Michaels and Jericho should put on a good show.

* Candice Michelle again looked strong as she gets set to challenge Beth Phoenix at No Mercy. Against Jillian Hall she had her best match by far since coming back. Now we'll see if she can do it vs Phoenix when it counts at a PPV.


The Bad
------------

* The whole Kane-Mysterio thing was awful. The match was watchable and okay, but the ending was so weak, and now we throw a very green Evan Bourne in the mix? Don't really get what that is all about, other than a major rush job to bury Bourne next week vs Kane (which you know is coming).

* I don't think I have to say too much good to say about the ultra-weak 6-man tag that was a total waste of time. Why keep throwing two very good tag wrestlers along with a new guy we've never seen against one good current wrestler in Kofi Kingston and a joke of Jerry Lawler and Charlie "JR" Haas is totally beyond me. You can't come up with something better?

* Wow, so Layla is jumping ship to William Regal and leaving Jamie Noble?! A: I never knew she and Noble were actually together, and B: who really cares?

Final Grade for the Show: C-

Labels: charlie haas, chris jericho, jamie noble, jerry lawler, kane, layla, rey mysterio

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: WrestleScoop.com

Amazon.com has released a product description for the upcoming Edge–A Decade of Decadence two-disc DVD set. It is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, December 23. Here is the DVD description: “Fans may love to hate Edge, but they’ll love this impressive collection of matches where Edge has won the WWE Championship (2 times), World Heavyweight Championship (2 times), Intercontinental Championship (5 times), U.S. Championship, WWE Tag Team Championship, and World Tag Team Championship (11 times!). To date, the “Rated R Superstar” has never had a DVD collection highlighting his amazing career, but Edge–A Decade of Decadence changes that. This 3-DVD set will feature dozens of the greatest matches and moments from Edge’s career.”

Labels: edge

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:58 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross is back with another blog update over at jrsbarbq.com where he talks about last night’s RAW, Ric Flair, Steve Austin and others. Below are the highlights:

- Jim Ross on last night’s RAW: HBK vs. Jericho for the World’s Title in a Ladder Match at No Mercy should be excellent. A show stealer?

Jericho-Punk had a really solid opening, cage match. Both men bring something special to the table. Nice chemistry between 2 athletic talents.

Nice to see Santino Marella, an entertaining antagonist, get to sit at the “grown up” table in a key interview segment.

William Regal pairing w/Layla should earn the underrated Regal more TV time.

Evan Bourne is a rapidly rising star. He’s quickly growing past the “side kick” role. Best shooting star press I’ve ever seen from this young star.

Charlie Haas impersonation of yours truly got Charlie noticed again, which was the point. No worries here as that road has been traveled before. Upside here was that our Bar-B-Q biz got a Mamajuana-like TV mention. Perhaps I need to go on Lawler’s no carb diet after seeing Charlie’s “drum.”

- Jim Ross on Steve Austin again: My blurb on Steve Austin certainly got people talking about Steve returning to ring for “one more match.” To the best of my knowledge, Steve has no intention of returning to the ring, but is working out like a warrior to prepare for his upcoming movie role. Austin does seem like a leading candidate to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009 in Houston.

- Jim Ross on Ric Flair: I received 2 great voice mails from Ric Flair Tuesday while I was in route from OKC-Nashville. Ric sounded great, upbeat and busy. His recent controversy seems to have two distinctly different stories. Ric is in the process of recording a DVD interview that he seems excited about. This one should contain some interesting “road stories” and career highlights and lowlights. It was great hearing from Ric who is following his friend Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina Gamecocks and also keeps up with another friend Bob Stoops’ Oklahoma Sooners.

- Jim Ross on the younger guys: It’s been a long time since so many young wrestlers have received TV time. That’s essentially a good thing and puts the onus on the youth of the WWE to step up and accept the responsibility that goes with the territory.

Labels: c.m. punk, jim ross, ric flair, Santino Marella

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

The focus of Raw tonight was around the Championship and who would get their hands on the coveted prize. Right from the start we had our main event between Jericho and CM Punk in a steel cage. For a cage match not on a pay per view it was pretty good. Granted there was not the blood shed normally reserved for the big events but both men did their best to keep the action intense.Some may argue the ending was cheap with Jericho falling out of the cage door after brawling with Punk, but I really though it was great and refreshing. Instead of the usual lets climb out of the cage and wait till the other guy runs up and pulls us down routine, we saw some nice attempts to leave via the door. Punk tried to climb out while in the Walls of Jericho, both men scrambled at the doorway pulling each other back and then Jericho falling out after exchanging blows with Punk.

This would not be the only time there would be a claim to the title. JBL for the second week in row faced one of the lower members of the roster in Tommy Dreamer and as we all know from Dreamers list of matches he would lose. JBL would call out GM Mike Adamle and lay claim to why he should be the number one contender. This would lead a big conglomerate of WWE stars who would come to the ring to share their view points. First it was Randy Orton who again reminded us this current era is well below the level of the Age of Orton. Them Glamarella provided some comic relief as the power couple had to remind everyone on how they are great champions. Then just to make sure no one was left out Batista would come to the ring and remind us why he should be the top dog. Adamle tried to diffuse the situation and let everyone know by the end of the night who would get the next shot at the title. Now since we has a large gathering of wrestlers in the ring you know somebody has to get taken out. Cue Glamorella as Batista first took down Santino them slammed the Glamazon on top of him.

With all of this excitement you would figure this would be all of the Championship excitement. Well not tonight as Adamle would announce the plans for the belt for No Mercy. Despite flubbing his lines, the GM was able to keep his streak of intriguing matches alive. First, despite Chris Jericho's plans to face the number one contender winner at No Mercy, the number one contender would wait to get his chance. JBL will face Batista to determine the number one contender to face the champ. But that champ may not be Jericho as the surprise of the night was a title match for No Mercy will be HBK in a ladder match. With the injury to Michael's this was a shocker, but there is no doubt it will deliver.

All of this excitement surrounding the belt is possible due to Jericho being champ. His heel persona enables him to work with variety of contenders as Jericho is only in this for himself. He pulls of this clean cut, suit wearing, serious individual attitude who has udder disdain for the fans perfectly. This of course brings the jeers from the paying public and makes him the most hated person on the show. Due to this you can seamlessly move contender after contender around him and still have good heat for the program. Also at a time when Raw is lacking a big superstar, due to Cena being out, it allows the possibility for those at the top of the roster to either get a shot at the belt or hold it for some time. And despite who has the belt you can use Jericho as the linchpin to always have a heel for the fans to hate. We all know he is great in the ring and his mic skills are the best on the roster. He has the ability to hype up any program assigned to him and should be able to keep things interesting till Cena returns.

The other big happening on the show was the confrontation of Kane and Mysterio. Kane has taken a disliking to Mysterio due to his popularity while wearing a mask. Kane is upset due the the fact the fans never liked him with the mask and now still feel he is a freak. Kane has vowed to unmask Mysterio and expose him to the world. It almost worked tonight, but Evan Bourne would come to the rescue of his idol, Mysterio. The reasoning behind program still makes no sense to me as they have barely developed the story line, but I do like the match up. This is one of the few times the David and Goliath setup works and it gives these guys a nice chance to get decent air time.

The rest of the night saw Candice Michell defeat Jillian then drop kick Beth Phoenix at ringside. This would build the heat for their upcoming match at No Mercy. Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase teamed up with Manu against Kofi Kingston, Jerry Lawler and good ol' J.H., or as we know him Charlie Haas. The sons of the legend would win to further establish their stable and Charlie Haas still needs a gimmick to get air time. And before we go let's all shed a tear for poor Jamie Noble. Despite his win over Paul Burchill, by the way looking a little gruff, he still lost his girl in Layla. Now this time it's William Regal who denied Jamie his true happiness.

Posted by JSX at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments